Traders Threaten Protest Over Taxes

By Esther Awuah
Traders in the informal sector have threatened to stop paying taxes to protest against government’s failure to effectively utilize the taxes.

According to Juliana Afari, National Co-ordinator of Streetnet Ghana Alliance, even though traders have always tried to honour their tax obligations, they hardly benefit from any developmental initiatives.

She said “traders contribute a lot to national development through the taxes they pay, but not much is done in terms of developing the markets.

“If you go to the markets now, sanitation facilities are virtually non-existent, no fire extinguishers or basic first aid materials.”

Ms Afari disclosed this during the re-launch of the Economic Justice Network (EJN) Ghana in Accra.

EJN is a national platform of civil society organizations devoted to equitable national economic development. It is made up of trade unions, farmers’ organizations, associations from industry and services, professional groups, women’s rights, equality organizations, faith-based organizations, students and youth organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

The EJN is involved in a series of campaigns on trade liberalization, income and livelihood to re-orient economic growth drivers towards domestic and regional sources, priorities production, income and employment–led growth and promote inclusive growth through equitable re-distribution of production capacities.

In an address, Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) said “rising inequality and economic justice are among the biggest problems in our society and the greatest threat to Ghanaians’ welfare, our democracy and our very future.”

He noted that though Ghana attained 14.4 percent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth last year, the most ardent promoters and supporters of the economic policies have admitted that the strong GDP has not translated into adequate job opportunities and improved living conditions for ordinary people.

“Indeed, millions of Ghanaians are forced to eke out a living in precarious employment in the ever-expanding informal economy,” he emphasized.

He indicated that “while majority of Ghanaians bear the brunt of a crumbling cedi and its knock-on devaluation and inflation of domestic consumption, production, incomes and investments, the other side of that coin is the squandering of economic growth by the local and international elites’ orgy of imports fed, tax-avoiding consumption or simply by taking it abroad.”

Mr. Asamoah reiterated the TUC’s commitment towards the attainment of the goal of EJN, which is to work to change the economic order.